- Monday-Friday, 11:15 am-4 pm
- Saturday, 11:45 am-4 pm
- Closed on Sunday
- 45-minute guided house tours from 11 am-4:15 pm
- Themes change every year; examples include Victorian consumer culture, merchandising, advertising, retailing and American industrialization
- Free on-site parking
- RV friendly
- Fully accessible first floor
- Air conditioned
- For guided or self-guided tours: Adults - $12, Children (ages 3-12) - $8, Free for children under three
Emlen Physick Estate
1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ 08204
609-884-5404
The Emlen Physick Estate offers visitors a new, professionally curated house tour yearly that highlights details of the Victorian home of one prominent Philadelphia and Cape May family and their staff: The Physick family. In 1879, Dr. Emlen Physick built an 18-room mansion on 11 acres in Cape May. The mansion was designed by renowned Philadelphian Victorian architect Frank Furness, avant garde for its time, and is one of the best examples of Victorian stick style in the country. Following Dr. Physick’s death in 1916, the estate passed through several owners and fell into disrepair. Concerned citizens formed the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC) in 1970 and succeeded in getting the city of Cape May to acquire the property in 1973. It is still home to the organization that has grown exponentially since then, and which was renamed Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture) in 2020. Cape May MAC offers close to 8,786 scheduled tours, activities and events yearly.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
- Attend one of the estate’s many year-round tours and programs, including the Emlen Physick Estate guided tour, Strange Victorian Obsessions House Tour, Clueless at the Physick Estate, Historic Haunts House Tour, Voices from Beyond House Tour, Gardens of Cape May Tour and Harvest Brew Fest, along with Victorian Weekend, Halloween and Christmas tours and events.
- Enjoy brunch or dinner at Vintage Restaurant B.Y.O.B. on property.
- Visit the home’s nine outbuildings and gardens.
- See annual exhibits featuring local history and diverse stories at the Carroll Gallery in the Carriage House.
- Shop for museum quality gifts in the Carriage House Museum Shop.
- Take the kids on a Scavenger Hunt on the grounds.
- Listen to four Story Stops via QR codes on the grounds.
Journey through Jersey strives to have the most up-to-date information, but always check with the site itself before planning a visit.
